October Newsletter

October Newsletter

FROM THE OFFICE…

As we move into October and the Thanksgiving holiday ahead, it is a great time to reflect with gratitude on an amazing first month of school. We have been so pleased with our September this year, and have enjoyed seeing all of our students embrace new classrooms, teachers, and challenges as we get underway with our academic programming.

A big thanks to everyone who joined us for our school Open House in September. Based on the feedback we received, people were grateful to be able to connect with our staff and site in that way. As the year progresses, there will be opportunities for families to access the school in other ways, such as concerts, special events, and report card conferences.

When it comes to connecting with staff, we’d ask that families please contact classroom teachers with questions or concerns first, and if required, they can find a mutually agreeable time to connect in person or on the phone. If you have additional questions or concerns, please feel free to connect with the school office, and hopefully someone can assist you, or set a time to meet with our school administrators, or other staff who can resolve concerns. We look forward to working together as we go forward in this exciting school year.

Wishing everyone a happy and enjoyable Thanksgiving long weekend when it comes.

Sincerely, Mr. J Brock, and Mrs. H. Decker - Huron Centennial Admin team

LITTLE CAESARS FUNDRAISER

We will once again offer our Little Caesars pizza kit fundraiser beginning on September 29th. Order information was sent home with students on Friday, September 26th. Families are asked to submit

the orders through School Cash Online. Orders are due on Friday, October 17th. There will be no late orders accepted. The delivery date is on Wednesday, November 5th. There will be a school messenger sent out that day when orders are sorted and ready to be picked up.

We appreciate your support with the fundraising efforts. Our fundraising dollars will support ongoing technology resources refresh for our classrooms.

SCHOOL COUNCIL NEWS

Next meeting: October 27, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. in the Library. The School Council is a key factor in the success of a school. Research indicates that when parents are involved in their child’s learning in a variety of ways, the success and achievement of the student is positively influenced. Our council supports activities such as sporting events, trips, classroom resources, fundraising, remaining knowledgeable about the school improvement plan and building a sense of belonging for all students and families.

During our first meeting, our School Council executive was established. We want to congratulate the following on their election to the executive for the 25/26 school year:

Chair - Denise Van Aamersfoort; Vice Chair - Jenny Shanahan; Secretary - Lea Ann Ross; Treasurer - Rebecca ; Members at Large - Janelle Gingerich, Barbara Schoenberger, Erica Johnston, Sylvia Levy, Shannon Beattie, Stacey Stephenson, Sarah Neely, Rebecca McNaughton

We are always looking for new members to join us. Please watch our school website for meeting minutes and agendas to be posted. We appreciate offers of support for school events, distributing fundraising items or sharing your ideas. Come out to a meeting to join the discussion and support your child’s school.

LIBRARY NEWS

Here are some reminders about borrowing books from our Huron Centennial School Library.

Please keep books in your plastic mail bag or a large ziplock bag to prevent damage from water, wet clothes or food/drinks that might leak from a lunch
You can carry your books in your backpack to read in class daily, to have your book handy on book exchange day, and to keep track of your books
Book exchanges occur with classes each week. Students who are active readers can talk with their teacher about exchanging books more frequently.
When reading at home, keep your book in the same spot always so you can find it to read, return, and we can lend it out to another student.
Overdue books: students will get a reminder on book exchange day; a second reminder will be sent home (for an extra look for the book that might be hidden)
When a book is overdue or not returned, your student cannot take out/exchange for a different book.
A discussion between home and school will determine when a book is not able to be recovered, repaired, or replaced.
If your library book needs repair, please tell your teacher or Mrs. Wondergem immediately to allow us to care for the book and keep as many of our materials in circulation as possible.

Ways to Encourage Reading

Read to/with your younger child.
Being interested in your child’s reading will encourage them to continue to read. • What better way to encourage reading than to read the same books as your independent reader! You can then compare your most and least favorite characters and discuss the story. It is also helpful for children to see adults reading books.

Happy Reading!

STAY UP TO DATE

Check out our website where all updates on the school calendar are live https://huroncentennial.amdsb.ca/

Social Media Pages

Facebook: Huron Centennial School Instagram: @huroncentennial

School Cash Online

Please sign up for school cash online for all purchases related to school products and fundraising. https://www.schoolcashonline.com/

Bus Route and Weather Cancellations

Route and weather cancellations can occur at any time. Please use the following sites to stay informed. Be sure to subscribe to BusPLanner App. You can choose Avon Maitland School Board, then you pick Huron Centennial School and you can choose the bus number your child(ren) rides. This will show you if there are any cancellations or delays. Remember to turn on your notifications in your phone settings.

Huron Perth Transportation Services Website: www.ourschoolbuses.ca

Bus Planner Alerts Page: https://hpsts.mybusplanner.ca/

Safe Arrival Absence Attendance Reporting

The Safe Arrival Program is for your child’s safety; we are required to check attendance and place safe arrival telephone calls at the beginning of the school day. Please assist us by reporting the student absence using the SchoolMessenger website or App. This option is available 24 hours/day, 7 days a week. You may also call the school office. If the school is unaware of why a child is absent, calls will be made until a parent/guardian is contacted to verify the absence.

Attendance

Use the SchoolMessenger (SafeArrival) website: go.schoolmessenger.ca.

○ The first time you use the website: i. Select “Sign Up” to create your account. **Important: You must use the email address that you provided to the school in order to set up your account. ii. Select “Attendance” iii. Select “Report an Absence” Please continue to use the Safe Arrival System to report your attendance for your child.

If you have not already done so download the App onto your personal device by going into your Google Play Store or the Apple App Store.

○ Once you download the app:

Tap Sign Up to create your account. **Important: You must use the email address that you provided to the school in order to set up your account.
Select Attendance from the menu, and then iii. Select Report an Absence.

○ Please do not adjust the notification settings in the app as it will impact the other messages you receive from the school via text and email.

Call the toll-free number 1-844-518-5459 to report an absence using the automated phone system. These are really simple to use to report your student absent for the current day or future days ahead. As for reporting a Weather Day; using a weather day will not be accepted if the school is open and buses are running. If you do not feel comfortable sending due to weather conditions please use the Personal day option.

You can still call the school at this number if needed 226-532-8600

Press #1 to leave a message in the Safe Arrival Call Mailbox.Please leave the students name, classroom teacher, reason for absence.

Written absence notes from parents delivered to the office by siblings are also acceptable. Once attendance is taken by the classroom teacher, the Safe Arrival System will begin to call parents or emergency contact numbers for student absences not explained. It is vital for parents to provide us with home, work, and emergency contact telephone numbers. During the course of the year, if parents need to update this information for our records, please call or email the school.

School Day Information

Start 8:55am

End 3:15pm

Please be advised that student drop-off is not permitted before 8:40 AM. There is no staff available to supervise students prior to this time, as our team is preparing for the school day. For the safety and well-being of all students, we kindly ask that families plan accordingly and ensure that children are not dropped off early.

If you are dropping off your child(ren) after the start of the school day, please remind them to check in with the office so they are accounted for.

We understand that sometimes students need to be picked up early or have changes made to their end-of-day plans. To help us ensure a smooth and efficient process, please keep the following in mind:

Same-day early pick-up requests must be communicated to the school by 2:00 PM. This allows the office enough time to relay messages and ensure your child is ready.
You can report early departures using the School Messenger Absence Reporting System by selecting the “Early Departure” option and choosing the appropriate time.
Please avoid calling with changes close to dismissal time, as we may not be able to accommodate late requests.
Teachers do their best to prepare students for early pick-ups, but classroom activities may prevent individual reminders. To help with this:
Please make sure your child is aware of the early pick-up time.
If you need to get a message to your child or their teacher during the school day, contact the school office by phone or email. Email: [email protected]
When you arrive for pick-up:
Buzz at the front door, then proceed to the office to sign your child out.
Your child will be called down to the office once you’ve arrived.
Thank you for helping us keep the end-of-day routine safe and organized for all students

Did you know?

Even sporadic absences add up. Missing two school days a month is the equivalent of 10% of the school year.

What we can do to make school attendance a priority

Talk about the importance of showing up to school every day.
Help your children maintain daily routines, such as getting a good night’s sleep.
Try not to schedule dental and non-urgent related medical appointments during the school day.
Help keep your student healthy. If you are concerned about a contagious illness, call your school or health care provider.

Medication at School

If your child requires any medication to be taken during the school day—including prescription or over-the-counter medications—please contact the school office by email to request the appropriate Medication Authorization Forms. These forms must be completed and returned before any medication can be administered at school. This is to ensure the safety and well-being of all students.

If you have any questions about medication procedures, don’t hesitate to reach out to the office. We’re happy to help!

Safe Schools

Providing a safe and inclusive learning environment is a priority for us at Huron Centennial. This includes ensuring that students are using language that is appropriate for the context of school, as well as language that is supportive and positive, helping those from all backgrounds and identities to feel welcome and safe. This expectation extends to the bus and any other school activities. Please review these expectations with your child(ren) as we have had several incidents recently requiring office intervention and consequences as a result of students using offensive or derogatory language against or in the presence of others. Help us ensure that we continue to provide a welcoming environment for all students.

Mental Health

We shared with students the importance of kindness, empathy and building connections as we returned to school. Students also learned about who they can talk to if they need support. Mental health is closely tied to a positive sense of identity and safety, both physical and emotional, for everyone. As such, mental health initiatives are often delivered in an aligned and integrated approach with equity and safety in mind. Recognizing the importance of community collaboration and the relevance of culturally and linguistically responsive mental health services, we have developed several partnerships with external community agencies to help augment the school-based mental health services available. AMDSB Student mental health services are delivered by Board social workers and psychotherapists. These services are accessible through the school principal. In a crisis situation, please call Kids Help Phone (1-800-668-6868) or Huron Perth Crisis Response Team

(1-888-829-7484) or visit www.amdsb.ca/gethelpnow for more options in the community.

Caregiver Resources

Supporting your child's well-being

Helping Your Child Manage Digital Technology

http://www.amdsb.ca/SEL

Positive Behaviour

Students are encouraged to demonstrate positive character attributes such as: responsibility, empathy, compassion, courage, respect for human rights and inclusivity. Standing up for one another and reporting when something does not feel safe is part of a caring and safe school environment. Students should report incidents that make them, or others, feel unsafe or uncomfortable, including acts of racism, discrimination and bullying. Students can report incidents in the following ways:

Contacting the school Principal or Vice Principal - preferred option as this ensures a response process is engaged immediately.
Using the Anonymous Reporting Tool located on the school or (link to AMDSB website) available late-October 2022

o Found on the homepage of each school’s website.

o Only use this option if you are not comfortable reporting the incident to a caring adult (e.g. principal/vice-principal, AMDSB employee, parent/guardian/caregiver)

o Considerations

o Is the targeted student(s)’s safety at risk?

o Is there evidence: documents, images, or messages?

o Are there witnesses to this incident?

o Will you need support because of your impact or involvement in the incident?

SCHOOL BUS

This is an ongoing reminder regarding the privilege of bus transportation. Our drivers are working to create seating plans for their routes and to remain consistent in their expectations. The school bus is an extension of the school. Please review the transportation expectations for parents and students. The parents remain responsible for the student until they load the bus, students will be responsible for their appropriate behaviour while on the bus and the school takes responsibility for follow up regarding the bus. We expect that our buses will remain clean, seats will be respected, and students will be kind and polite to the driver and other riders.

Bus rules:

- No food (no eating) or drinks on the bus (therefore no wrappers, food waste or garbage will be found on the bus)

- Remain seated until the bus comes to a complete stop.

- Sit in your assigned seats, keep the aisles clear, face forward

- Hands and feet to yourself and use appropriate language on the bus

As with any incidents that might occur at school, following a report of inappropriate behaviour, follow up will include further investigation of the details. It may also include reminders, a review of the bus expectations, contact with home or other steps to correct the behaviour. When an issue is ongoing, the student may lose the privilege of riding the bus for a set period.

Bus incident forms are completed by drivers and shared with the office. These incidents will be reviewed, notes will be scanned/emailed to families. Phone contact will follow when there are more than three incidents, an incident involves behaviour that may be considered for suspension or when bus privileges will be revoked for a period of time. Parents may be asked to meet with the student and administration to determine a plan for safe travel on the school bus.

Responsibility of Parent/Guardians

Responsibilities of Students

Huron Perth Transportation Services Policies and Procedures

CAYTO

It is time to register for Kindergarten 2025/2026! This year, our

Kindergarten “Calling All Three Year Olds” event is in-person

at our school on Wednesday November 26th at 12:30pm. We would ask that families please contact the school to book an appointment and begin the registration process.

Phone:226-532-8600 Email:[email protected]

Special Education Plan 2025/2026

“All students can learn but not always on the same day and not always in the same way.”

All students require support from teachers, classmates, family, and friends in order to thrive and to gain full benefit from their school experience. Some students have special needs that require additional supports beyond those ordinarily received in a classroom setting.

Many students have special education needs. Some are formally identified through the Identification, Placement and Review Process (IPRP) and have an Individual Education Plan (IEP) that guides their programming. Other students have an Individual Education Plan without the formal identification. Classroom teachers focus on universal design for learning and differentiated instruction to meet the needs of all students. Special education programs and services in the Avon Maitland District School Board support classroom teachers in meeting the needs of our diverse group of learners with special education needs.

Resources, programs and services provided to students depend on funding allotted to AMDSB by the Ministry of Education.

AMDSB Website with Special Education Information AMDSB Special Education

Click on the link below to view the AMDSB Special Education Plan 2025-2026

Special Education Plan

HPPH Head Lice Fact Sheet

OCTOBER EVENTS

Oct 3- Picture Day

Oct 6- Novembers Milk/Pizza are available to purchase on School Cash Online

Oct 7- Pizza Day

Oct 7- Regional Cross Country at Huron Centennial (rain date is Oct 15)

Oct 8- Senior Soccer at Clinton (rain date Oct 9)

Oct 10- PA Day- No School

Oct 10- World Mental Health Day

Oct 13- Thanksgiving- No School

Oct 17- Little Caesar’s Orders due school cash online-No Late Orders Accepted

Oct 21- District Cross Country at Wildwood Conservation Area, St. Marys (rain date Oct 22)

Oct 24- November Pizza and Milk orders due on SchoolCash

Oct 27- Parent Council Meeting 6-7pm

Oct 28- Grade 7 Immunizations

_______________________________________________________________________________

Avon Maitland District School Board 62 Chalk Street North, Seaforth, ON N0K 1W0 (519)-527-0111 www.amdsb.ca